Processors' Pulse: Steady and Strong

Every couple of months we survey our readers to get their feelings on business conditions and the like. We call this survey the Processors' Pulse, and our December results suggest a revival of sorts in North American processing.

Some highlights from the 285 processors who responded to this 30-second survey:

Roughly 52% said they were "somewhat more optimistic" about the general econonmy. In our October study, 32% expressed such optimism; in August the number was 30%.

In our December study 60% reported "somewhat better" business conditions, while another 12% indicated "much better" business conditions. In October, these numbers were 58% and 11%, respectively.

Our December survey showed that nearly 35% of processors studied said they were "very likey" to purchase capital equipment over the next 12 months, while another 34% said they were "somewhat likely" to do so.

Nearly 40% of responding processors said they planned to attend NPE.

A whopping 70% of those said what they saw at NPE will influence what they buy.